New Recipe – Ajvar

Hello and happy new year! This is Dianne, Nancy’s web mistress, guest blogging.

A friend from Bulgaria introduced me to a wonderful thing called Ajvar – it’s a red pepper / eggplant sauce / spread. Between the sweetness of the roasted red bell pepper and the tanginess of the vinegar it’s absolutely delicious IMHO. You can top off some eggs from one of Nancy’s chickens, or use it as a dip on a cracker or chip as well as fresh veggies from the Green Barn green house. I have combined and modified a couple of recipes to make it my own. Bon Appetit!”

For the Food Processor:

(all ingredients are a good jumping off point – if you want more tang, add a little more vinegar, etc.)
2 Tablespoons of tomato paste
2 Tablespoons organic Apple Cider Vinegar
Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the eggplant, bell pepper, and onion into 1-inch cubes. Toss them in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes, toss, then back into the oven for another 25 minutes or until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft.
Cool slightly (I’ve also cooled overnight in the refrigerator then processed the next day)

Place the vegetables in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the tomato paste and apple cider vinegar. Pulse until roughly chopped. Taste for salt, pepper and olive oil.

Transfer to an airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.